Bluetti to 12v van socket

[Insert Coin]

I know Dellboy has done a huge post about solar charging, but I’m hoping this might be an easy workaround for someone less electrically competent.

I’m about to have an EB55 delivered, nice and easy way to charge up devices when not on hook-up, I can charge it before we leave and it’ll then give us a few days off-grid charging for various devices.

At the moment I’ve got the factory VW leisure set-up, it mostly works for me, but the leisure battery never really gets beyond 12.5v and after 8 hours or so it’s usually at 12.3v and if we use the Webasto heater it’ll drop lower than that fairly quickly.

Is there any reason I can’t use the 12v output of the EB55 and connect that directly to the leisure battery (it’s already got a Ctek direct connector on it) and top up the leisure battery when needed?

 

[Dellmassive]

That's not really advised for two reasons.

The first is that the EB55 has just a regulated 12v output, which is not a smart charger. (You should use a smart charger to charge any battery)

The second is that the EB55 will drain dead flat into the LB as it's much lesser capacity than van battery.... so not really achieving what you want.

..

You could look at a portable 100w solar panel.

That could be used to a: connect to the ctek to charge the van (assuming a ctek DC-DC)

And b: charge the EB55.


.

 

[Insert Coin]

Understood and makes perfect sense, much obliged.

I was trying to find a way to keep the leisure battery topped up when at Oktoberfest and using the Webasto for a few hours here and there.

Solar is limited at that time of year, so looks like we’ll just need to wrap up or find hookup next year.

 

[Dellmassive]

Not nessesarily.

You can easily double up your LB. Post a few pics of your setup.

You could get a second AGM(assuming you have SLA battery) battery and just add some quick disconnectors.

Then have twin batteries for the event.... that will see you good all weekend with the heater etc.

 

[Dellmassive]

You running a dc-dc charger? - suppose you must be if you have a LB fitted.


So another option is to upgrade/replace your LB for a lifepo4 battery..... that will have twice the capacity of a AGM for physical size.

 

[roadtripper]

In the first post @Insert Coin said it was a factory setup so I suspect just the simple charge relay.

If you already have the CTEK connector in place and you are buying the power pack anyway definitely try Power Pack 240v -> CTEK Charger -> Leisure Battery

If you are buying the power pack primarily to solve the low leisure battery due to heater use issue I think you'd be better spending that money on a higher capacity LiFePo leisure battery.
With the dropping price of LiFePo that would be a good upgrade.

 

[Insert Coin]

Thanks gents, yeah choices are two LB’s, Lithium or using my Ctek charger.

Will go down the Ctek route first as I can try that at Busfest.

 

[roadtripper]

If you use the CTEK hopefully you have one that shows which bit of the charge cycle it is in?

Check the manual for which one is the end of bulk charge and stop there.

Charging efficiency drops off after that and you'll also be loosing energy in the inverter in the powerpack. Just keep topping it up to the end of bulk charge (80% ish) to make best use of the energy in the powerpack.

 

[roadtripper]

I use the common 5A CTEK and for this one CTEK mark stage 4 as "ready to use" so the end of the bulk charge stage.

 

[Insert Coin]

Great advice, I’ve got that charger, maybe the higher output, but has the same led stages.

 

[Dellmassive]

I done the same over winter...

Here's my setup.

[Guide] Battery Maintainer (for Starter battery) -- How I Done It --

I’ve just fitted the AMT12-2 today and hooked up the EHU. The BM2 shows that the starter received some charge back but seems to have stopped at 12.29V. What voltage level on the starter should it maintain / reach? Keeps mine at 12.6, I asked the same question last week and if the AMT wasn’t...

www.t6forum.com

.

 

[Insert Coin]

Awesome, thank you mate, reading now.